John Plummer, Author at The Stray Ferret

Rain highlights concerns about state of Harrogate district drains and gullies

Heavy rain in recent days has heightened concerns about the state of drains and gullies in the Harrogate district.

The Stray Ferret has been contacted by residents in separate parts of the district frustrated about how quickly flooding occurs because of blockages in the drainage infrastructure.

Huby resident John Chadwick said flooding caused by blocked culverts, drains and ditches was a major problem in Huby and Weeton and concerns raised by the parish council had brought “minimal results”. He said:

“There is a particularly serious issue at the moment at the junction of Woodgate Lane, Crag Lane and the main A658.

“When there is even little rainfall, water cascades off the fields on the north side of the A658. Because the ditches are blocked, water flows down over the main road and then down onto Woodgate Lane. Recently this froze over causing a risk to life. This is not an exaggeration, a vehicle could easily have skidded.

“I walk my dog regularly in the area and even as a complete novice in the subject, I can see that the problem would be easy to solve by clearing ditches, gulleys and drains.”

A drain in Huby

Mr Chadwick urged North Yorkshire County Council, the highways authority, to do more to tackle the problem, particularly as a school bus stop is located at the junction.

Sharow resident James Thornborough sent photos of Sharow Lane, which he said flooded within an hour of heavy rain on Saturday.

“The blind bend road was flooded where the sewage operation is running 24/7. It took just one hour of torrential rain to achieve the pictured lake. The electric power packs for the traffic lights were submerged in water.

“Yorkshire Water jetted the drains about six weeks ago, which is not a sustainable solution because every other drain on Dishforth Road is blocked, offering a downhill runway.

Sharow Lane last weekend

North Yorkshire County Council’s executive member for highways and transportation, Cllr Keane Duncan, said:

“Funding for the upkeep of drains and gullies is part of our annual highways maintenance budget of around £55 million which covers planned maintenance programmes as well as responding to problems as they arise.

“Over the last financial year we invested an additional £500,000 to improve how we maintain road drainage systems across the county.

“We have in-house high-pressure jetting capability on our gully cleansing machines which assist in unblocking drainage systems and ensuring they are operating effectively.”

Talks to save 24 bus from Pateley to Harrogate as cull looms

Talks are taking place to maintain the 24 bus route between Pateley Bridge and Harrogate.

The service provides a lifeline for many people in rural parts of Nidderdale, including Birstwith, Darley and Summbridge.

But North Yorkshire County Council said today its survival was in the balance — amid uncertainty over the future of 80 bus services in the county.

Until October 2022, all Monday to Saturday journeys on the 24 were operated commercially by the Harrogate Bus Company, which is owned by French transport firm Transdev.

But in October the company announced the service was no longer commercially viable and it intended to withdraw most journeys, which prompted the county county to prop it up until April this year.

North Yorkshire County Council’s executive member for highways and transportation, Cllr Keane Duncan, said today:

“We are currently seeking costs from operators to continue service 24 after April in the hope it can be maintained at a similar level. We will update the public on the future of the service as soon as possible.

“The issues affecting the 24 service come at a time of immense pressure for bus services both nationally and across North Yorkshire.”

Cllr Keane Duncan

Cllr Duncan said passenger numbers were currently on average about 80 per cent of pre-pandemic levels. In addition, operating costs have increased and there is a national shortage of drivers. The Conservative politician added:

“Combined with government grant funding coming to an end in March, around 80 routes are at risk of needing to reduce their frequency or cease altogether.

“While we already use £1.6m of council funds each year to support services that are not commercially viable, this funding is likely to become increasingly stretched given the scale of the challenge we are facing across the county.

“We continue to work closely with operators to encourage more people to choose the bus. We are supporting the government’s £2 fare cap, which applies to the 24 and tens of other services in North Yorkshire.

“We meet regularly and are sharing information in a bid to ensure we are doing everything we can to protect as much of the network as possible through this difficult period. This will ensure we have the best basis for building services back in the future.”

Bus fares charged by the Harrogate Bus Company and Connexions Buses were capped at £2 for three months from the start of this year as part of the government-funded Help for Household scheme.

Michael Harrison, a Conservative who represents Killinghall, Hampsthwaite and Saltergate on the county council, said the 24 route, which passes through his division, was highly valued by many people. He added:

“I’m hopeful we will be able to keep the service running in the new financial year. In the meantime I would really encourage people to to take advantage of the £2 bus fare cap to demonstrate there is a demand for it.”

New council chief questions future of Harrogate Convention Centre

The incoming chief executive of the new North Yorkshire Council has raised questions about the future of Harrogate Convention Centre.

In a significant change of tone, Richard Flinton refused to commit to a £49 million redevelopment of the venue proposed by Harrogate Borough Council, which will be abolished at the end of March.

Mr Flinton also questioned the future use of the site, saying the conference and events venue needed to be vibrant and relevant in the face of competition from a new venue in Leeds rather than “an enormous drain on public finances”.

Speaking at Harrogate District Chamber of Commerce‘s monthly meeting at Rudding Park last night, Mr Flinton said the council had “inherited issues we didn’t expect” about the centre and decisions were not “straightforward”. He said:

“The level of investment the conference centre needs to make sure it’s a relevant venue is something we are facing up to.

“£50 million into one place is a big investment ask. We will need to understand how the conference centre earns its way, faces up to the challenge from Leeds and is a strong investable asset for the new council.”

Mr Flinton at last night’s meeting

Harrogate Borough Council has consistently defended the loss-making centre on the basis that the thousands of visitors it attracts benefit the town’s hotels, bars and restaurants and bring a wider economic benefit to the district as a whole.

But control of the venue will transfer to North Yorkshire Council on April 1, when it comes into existence and Harrogate Borough Council ceases to exist.

The new local authority, based in Northallerton, could find it harder to justify to residents in places such as Scarborough and Selby the merit of spending almost five per cent of its annual £1.2 billion budget on a single building in Harrogate.

In his speech last night, Mr Flinton also cited diversification as one of the new council’s business aims for Harrogate and said there were questions about the town’s over-reliance on the centre.

Michael Schofield, a Liberal Democrat who represents Harlow and St George’s on North Yorkshire County Council, asked whether the new council would consider “repurposing the HCC to make it a viable business”.

Mr Flinton reiterated that it needed to be vibrant rather than a drain on public finances.

Cllr Carl Les and Richard Flinton last night

Carl Les, the Conservative leader of North Yorkshire Council, said:

“We have to consider it again with a fresh pair of eyes.”

In October, Harrogate Borough Council and North Yorkshire County Council formed a working group to discuss the convention centre’s £49 million redevelopment plan and how it could be funded, as well as how the venue should be run in the future.

76 jobs at risk at Harrogate’s St George Hotel

A total of 76 staff at Harrogate’s St George Hotel face uncertain futures amid plans to close the building for refurbishment.

The Inn Collection Group, which bought the historic hotel a year ago, informed staff last week they were at risk of redundancy on January 30.

It plans to carry out a multi-million pound refurbishment that will transform the interior and increase the number of bedrooms from 90 to 96.

A spokesman for the Inn Collection Group, which also owns the Dower House in Knaresborough and Ripon Spa Hotel, said today:

“We currently have 76 colleagues at risk of redundancy as a result of a proposed closure on January 30, however we have started a consultation process to discuss this, to support our colleagues and seek ways in which to mitigate the need for redundancy.”

The spokesman said the refurbishment would include remedial work to some of the building’s systems and “bring it into the look and feel of The Inn Collection Group”, adding:

“The main focus on refurbishment though is centred around the transformation of the ground floor space, which will be brought into our model of hospitality.

“We are a pub with rooms operator rather than a hotel operator and the refurbishment will evolve the offering at Hotel St George into a space where they are made to feel welcome and are encouraged to join us for coffees, drinks and meals.

“There will also be significant improvements carried out to areas that support this such as the kitchens, allowing us to develop what we offer to our guests and residents of Harrogate and beyond.”

The spokesman said the refurbishment was anticipated to take 16 weeks and was “intended to begin shortly following a consultation period with our teams at the site who will be impacted whilst the refurbishment takes place”.

Asked what will happen to customers who have booked accommodation or weddings, he said:

“Our teams are currently contacting these customers directly to discuss their bookings. These discussions will centre around if they wish to retain their stay or event with us or if they wish to find an alternative venue, which we will work with them to accommodate.”

Dower House and Ripon Spa Hotel set for summer re-openings

The Inn Collection Group has properties across northern England, including Dower House and Ripon Spa Hotel, which are both closed for refurbishment.

The Dower House

Work at Dower House began in September last year. The spokesman said:

“Once complete, the Dower House will have grown from a 38-room establishment to a 57-room venue and as with Hotel St George will have enjoyed a significant renovation of its ground floor spaces to provide a space to be enjoyed by guests both staying with us and those visiting from the local area.

“The fabric of the building is requiring a great deal of care and attention as part of the refurbishment, and we are hopeful that works will be complete later this summer.”

The company has started advertising for a general manager at Ripon Spa Hotel but it is not expected to reopen for several months. The building is still surrounded by scaffolding.

Ripon Spa Hotel

The spokesman said:

“Works have been underway at Ripon Spa since summer last year and again have seen us undertake an extensive programme to maintain and enhance the fabric of the building.

“As at the Dower House, there will be an increase in the number of bedrooms for guest. Up from 43 to 59.

“We are again hopeful of launching the newly renovated venue later this summer.”

Photos show how Albanian drugs gang transformed Harrogate home into cannabis farm

Police photos have revealed the scale of a cannabis farm run by an Albanian drugs gang at a Harrogate home owned by landlady Yoko Banks.

Banks, 74, of Scargill Road, was constantly in touch with the drug conspirators but played no active part in the cultivation process.

She was jailed for three-and-a-half years in August 2021 after she admitted three counts of being concerned in the supply of cannabis

Last week she was ordered to repay over £142,333 of illegally earned money under the Proceeds of Crime Act at Leeds Crown Court.

The photos by North Yorkshire Police show how one of her homes on Alexandra Road, close to King’s Road, not far from Harrogate town centre, was completely transformed to cultivate the plants. Even the stairs were covered in cannabis.

Detective Inspector Janine Mitchell, head of financial investigation at the constabulary, said today:

“The Proceeds of Crime Act allows us to deprive criminals of their illegal income. We will take every opportunity to use the legislation to its capacity to ensure no-one benefits from crime.

“In this case Banks had knowingly rented out high-end Harrogate properties to the organised crime gang in return for thousands of pounds in rental income.

“If you suspect anyone of living off illegally earned income, do not hesitate to call the police. If you don’t want to talk to us, you can report it to Crimestoppers anonymously.”

cannabis farm Harrogate Alexandra Rd Yoko Banks

Cannabis plants propped up in the house on Alexandra Road.

One of the rooms at the house.

The windows were blocked off to prevent people seeing inside.

The cannabis-covered stairs.

Yoko Banks

Leeds Bradford Airport reveals new destinations for 2023

Leeds Bradford Airport has announced it will offer a record-breaking 80 destinations in 2023 and 2024.

New routes include Bergen in Norway, Porto in Portugal and Perpignan in France.

Recent additions of Katowice in Poland, Bucharest in Romania and Cluj in Romania will continue along with popular favourites such as Tenerife in the Canary Islands, Faro in Portugal and Palma in Majorca remain on the itinerary.

In a press release today, the airport said it had made “significant investment to its terminal”, including a redevelopment of Hall A facilities and improved facilities in the check-in hall, which services all airlines apart from Jet2.

Leeds Bradford Airport

John Cunliffe, commercial and strategy director at LBA, said:

“With the broadest range of destinations ever, we know that the coming years will be fantastic for LBA passengers. Whether it’s holidaymakers returning to their favourite beaches, travel to see distant family or adventures to new countries, there is something for everybody.”

Further details are available here.

Flood warning for Harrogate district from 6am tomorrow

A flood warning is in force for the Harrogate district from 6am to 8pm tomorrow.

Many roads were hit by flash flooding on Saturday and water levels remain high. Now the Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for tomorrow due to persistent heavy rain, although the north-west is expected to bear the brunt.

Yellow warnings, which are less severe than amber and red warnings, are usually issued when it is likely the weather will cause some low level impacts, including some disruption to travel in a few places

In this instance, the Met Office has warned “flooding of a few homes and businesses is likely” and “bus and train services probably affected with journey times taking longer”.

The Environment Agency issued a flood alert on Thursday last week for low-lying areas around Masham, Boroughbridge, Aldborough and Bishop Monkton that are close to the River Ure.

It was removed over the weekend and there are currently no flood alerts or warnings active in the Harrogate district.

Roadworks to start on Harrogate’s Wetherby Road this week

Ten days of roadworks are due to commence on Harrogate’s Wetherby Road on Thursday.

Northern Powergrid will carry out work to connect new electric vehicle charging points at Leon restaurant to the electricity network.

It will mean closing the inside lane of the carriageway outside Leon on the approach to the Woodlands junction.

Roadworks took place in the same area from April to June last year in the run-up to Leon opening.

Project engineer Richard Appleyard said in a letter on behalf of Northern Powergrid to residents in the area:

“I regret it will be necessary to excavate a trench, install new cables and cable joints in the highway footpath, in front of the previously installed green substation kiosk at the front corner of the property.

“It is appreciated that there will be a certain amount of disruption during the implementation of this work, but every effort will be made to keep this to a minimum.”

The letter added it would be necessary to close a section of the inside lane “and set up a barrier system incorporating a temporary footpath within the carriageway”. It added:

“Every effort will be made to maintain access to adjacent properties at all times.”

Joe Shields, who lives in the area, questioned why the work wasn’t carried out when the road was previously dug up. He said:

“I can see the tailbacks and frustrated drivers already. Not to mention locals and pub customers.

“Last time there was work it was complete chaos and took weeks and weeks.”

St George Hotel in Harrogate to close at end of month

Harrogate’s St George Hotel is to close at the end of the month.

Staff at the 90-bedroom Edwardian hotel, situated opposite Harrogate’s Royal Hall, were informed of the news yesterday.

The Inn Collection Group confirmed the closure when the Stray Ferret called today.

The company’s portfolio also includes the Dower House in Knaresborough and Ripon Spa Hotel in Ripon, which are both currently being renovated.

A spokesperson said:

“We are currently in consultation with colleagues about a proposed closure to Hotel St George from January 30 for a period of refurbishment and renovation.

“Further details of developments at Hotel St George and the ongoing refurbishments at The Ripon Spa Hotel and Knaresborough’s The Dower House will be communicated in the near future.”

The Country Living St George Hotel will not re-open after its parent company went into administration

The historic hotel is situated in the heart of Harrogate.

The Inn Collection Company bought the venue for an undisclosed sum a year ago.

The St George Hotel, which has a restaurant and six function rooms. has had a number of owners in recent years, including Bespoke Hotels and Specialist Leisure Group.

Ripon sewage leak: tree felled as repair work set to last two weeks

Work to repair a leaking sewer pipe on the River Ure at Sharow, near Ripon, looks set to last another fortnight.

Several vehicles and staff have been working round the clock for more than a week to fix the pipe at the pumping station on Sharow Lane.

Yorkshire Water said on Wednesday the leak had caused “short term” discharge into the Ure on December 30.

Yesterday a large tree was felled at the site where work is taking place.

In an update today. a Yorkshire Water spokesman said:

“The repairs, due to the depth and complexity, could take two weeks to complete. Our teams are working hard to carry out the work as quickly as possible and we apologise for the disruption caused.

“The length of the repair is due to the depth of the excavation and location which makes it complex.”

River Ure sewage discharge at Sharow (1)

Vehicles are still at the scene of the incident.

The spokesman said the tree had to be felled because nearby repair work was taking place five metres below the surface and “there were concerns the dig could cause the tree to fall onto the site where people were working”.

He added there had been no further discharge since the pipe was isolated on December 30 and Yorkshire Water had not received any reports of fish deaths.

One Sharow villager, who asked not to be named, said the number of vehicles working at the site over several days suggested “the scale and severity of what’s happened must be significant”.

Yorkshire Water, however, has said it “believes there was a low impact on the environment due to the speed at which the pipe was isolated”, adding:

“Our teams attended quickly, isolated the main and began a tankering operation to prevent further wastewater entering the river and ensure customers could continue to use their services, as well as informing the Environment Agency of the incident.”

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Dower House and Ripon Spa Hotel set for summer re-openings

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